


AC

by Bl00dstain3d (Gh0sTwRyT3r)



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Death, Electric chair and the use of said chair, Temporary Character Death, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-01-07 14:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1121006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gh0sTwRyT3r/pseuds/Bl00dstain3d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On August 6th 1890, in Auburn Prison, William Kemmler was the first human to be executed by AC current. Rated for non-major character death and implied torture. Some twisting of a historical figure. PLEASE! I BEG YOU TO READ THE TAGS!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by an episode of Dark Matters, involving Edison and Westinghouse's battle over AC and DC currents. The electric chair used Westinghouse's AC current, and Edison backed the demonstration of the AC current on animals until the New York legislature chose William Kemmler, a murderer, to test it as a new way to execute people. It took two attempts, at 2000 volts for 8 minutes. In an episode of Sanctuary, Watson says Nikola survived an accident (or assassination attempt) involving Edison's chair. The real event portrayed here took place twelve years after the Ripper case in 1888 (incidentally when the first electric chair was built).
> 
> Edits:
> 
> November 30 2105: removed footnotes and unnecessary authoress notes, fact checked, edited tags, minor edits to text in line with recent research, other minor edits.

Nikola watched in horror as William Kemmler, a convicted murderer, was slowly cooked from the inside out, next to him stood Thomas Edison, who also watched on. Nikola had experienced what the man before him had, and he wouldn't wish it on anyone. Nikola was privately thankful for the man's gag, as it had been hard to contain his screams as his body absorbed the electricity, and he didn't think he'd be able to stand next to his torturer if he heard the man scream.

"He's still alive." Nikola gasped in horror.

"How do you know?" One of the officials asked.

"I can tell." He really wished he couldn't. 

"Double the voltage."

"Thomas…this is torture."

"This is proving a point."

Edison's assistant restarted the machine, with double the power. Nikola doubled over. 

"Tesla?"

"This is barbaric."

It was over in eight minutes, for Nikola, it felt like eight years.

"Excuse me, gentlemen." He left the room, avoiding eye contact with Edison entirely. He had to pause in the hall to recover before he could make it out of the prison. Edison walked out of the room.

"I hope it was worth it, Thomas."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1888, New York City, Edison and Tesla are in the middle of 'The War of Currents.'  
> In an episode of Sanctuary, Watson says Nikola survived an accident (or assassination attempt) involving Edison's chair. This is that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had inspiration to add onto AC and have a chapter on Nikola and Edison and the chair. Here it is. I did some research for this one and I won't be sleeping tonight...  
> In an episode of Sanctuary, Watson says Nikola survived an accident (or assassination attempt) involving Edison's chair. This is that.

“Tesla!”

Nikola sighed when he heard the voice call his name. He couldn’t escape without losing face though, so he turned around.

“Edison.”

Thomas Edison was walking up, with a smile on his face.

“What do you want, Edison?” Nikola growled.

“I need your help with a project.”

“What do you want to steal from me now?”

“Tesla, will you ever forgive me for that? It’s not my fault you take things so literally. I just need your help for one experiment, and I’ll pay you. For real this time.”

Nikola frowned at the older man.

“Do you take me for a fool, Thomas? Why would I ever work with you after last time?”

“I’ll pay you in advance.”

This made Nikola pause. Several bills were coming due and his funds seriously lacking.

“Fine, I’ll help. Paid in advance, of course.”

“Of course!”

\--

\--

“Tesla! You made it! Excellent! This way.”

Something was bothering Nikola, Edison was _never_ happy to see him. Edison talked as they walked.

“Have you seen my demonstrations?”

“You mean your public torture of animals?”

“It is your AC current that does that.”

“What does that have to do with any-wait, is this because of me?”

“You’re a bright man, Tesla, and you and Westinghouse are destroying my business. I’ve tried to be your friend-”

“Friends don’t cheat friends out of $50,000, Thomas.”  Nikola’s friends just had the habit of accusing him of murder.

“Why can’t you move past that? No matter, here we are.”

Edison opened the door to a study.

“Have a seat. Wine?”

“Thank you.” Nikola took a seat opposite the desk. Edison set a wine glass on the desk in front of him.

“To business, and hopefully, future friendship?”

“To business.” Nikola sipped his wine.

“I just wish you and I could get along, Nikola. We could accomplish great things together.”

Nikola frowned, he may call Edison ‘Thomas’ from time to time, but Edison never called him 'Nikola'. He drained his glass and stood up.

“I don’t think this is going to work out, Thomas.”

He turned to leave and the room spun. He turned to glare at Edison.

“You drugged me!” Nikola stumbled on the turn and the floor rushed up to greet him.

\--

\--

Nikola woke up to pain and a scream torn from his throat.

“He wasn’t supposed to wake up!”

Nikola tried to raise his arm, only to find it strapped down. He opened his eyes with a herculean effort. Edison was watching the proceedings with fear on his face.

Sparks flew from the chair as Nikola thrashed and screamed. His hands gripped the arms of the chair, tearing them to pieces as his claws emerged. His screams grew hoarse as his fangs grew in. He wretched himself free of the restraints and pulled himself from the chair. Black eyes pinned Edison with a hate filled murderous glare just before their owner collapsed to the ground.

“Jesus Christ, Tesla’s a monster…” One of Edison’s assistants breathed.

“Not a word of any of this to anyone.”

Another assistant approached Tesla’s unmoving form.

“He’s not breathing…and I can’t find a pulse. He’s dead.”

The assistant withdrew from Tesla’s side.

“Clean up here.”

“What about the body?”

“Dump it in the river.”

\--

\--

Nikola woke up with a painful gasp followed by choking.

‘That wasn’t air…’

He opened his eyes to find himself underwater. His last memories were fuzzy, but he remembered Edison and his damn chair. Edison must have thought he’d killed him, and disposed of his body in the river. He was still drowning, so someone must have weighed him down. Nikola looked down, to find a heavy chain wrapped around his legs. It was easy to remove and within moments he was breaking the surface of the river. Once he made it to the bank he sat on a rock and coughed, trying to get air instead of water in his lungs.

“You alright, mister?”

Nikola looked up towards the road, where a couple of boys were looking down at him.

“Yes, I just fell in.”

“If you say so.”

Nikola stood, and checked his pockets, his wallet was still there. He scrambled up to the road.

“Where can I get a cab?”

The boys looked at him strangely. One pointed towards the cross street.

“Mister, you sure do talk funny.” The other said.

Nikola ignored the second boy.

“Thank you.”

“He sure was weird.” He heard the second boy say as he walked away.

\--

\--

When Edison returned to his home for the evening, he was not expecting guests. Especially not the one he found sitting in his parlor, in front of his fire, drinking his wine, looking like Death personified.

“Thomas! How lovely of you to join me. Wine?”

“You really are a monster!”

“Such an ugly term, I think.”

“What do you want, Tesla?”

“I want a lot of things, Thomas.  No one will believe either of us. No one will believe that Nikola Tesla is a monster, and no one will believe that Thomas Edison is a murderer.”

“Then why are you here?”

“To give you a warning. There are four people who will believe me. All I have to do is tell them, and they will make the rest of your life miserable. One might even try to repay the favor.”

“You said yourself no one will believe me…”

“I’m not worried about that. I want the money you owe me and we’ll stay an acceptable distance from each other, and be civil when we have to be together.”

“Deal.”

“Excellent! Now, can your driver drive me home?”

\--

\--

“Mr. Tesla! Are you alright, sir?” The doorman asked, startled by Nikola’s appearance. He was sure he looked quite the sight, singed, wet, smelly and he was sure his lips were turning blue again. 

“Nothing to worry about.”

Fortunately he made it inside his rooms without the young couple across the hall seeing him. A warm bath, clean clothes and a telegram off to Helen, James and Nigel sounded like a wonderful plan.


End file.
